This
Code of Ethics provides guidelines for all Breeder Members and Provisional
Breeder Members of the Maine Coon Breeders and Fanciers Association (MCBFA).

I.PROTECTION OF THE BREEDThe continued existence of a healthy
breed depends upon Breeders adhering to high ethical considerations.Maine Coons must be bred only to
registered Maine Coons.Maine Coons
must not be used as an outcross for any other breed.

II.AIMSBreeders must emphasize good health and stable temperament,
as well as appearance.Consistent
with this policy is the obligation to breed discriminately and only with a
reasonable certainty of finding satisfactory homes for all kittens.Quality is more important than quantity.

III.RECORDSBreeders must keep accurate records of all pedigrees and
matings.These records must be made
available, for legitimate reasons, to other breeders.Breeders must register their cats with at
least one recognized cat association.

IV.BREEDINGBreeders should plan and implement a breeding program
with the preservation and protection of the breed kept foremost in mind.Stud service should be offered only to
breeders with an established cattery registered in at least one recognized
cat association.

Breeding stock should be free
from disease or hereditary deformity and shall exhibit no radical departure
from the Maine Coon standard.A
Breeder who suspects or incurs a currently known genetic defect in breeding stock
or placed kittens shall consult a veterinarian concerning current acceptable
tests.MCBFA recommends that all
breeding stock be tested for known genetic diseases (such as HCM, SMA, HD,
PKD) where testing is available.To
the extent feasible, all purchasers of breeding kittens from this breeding
stock, and the owner/breeder of the sire and/or dam, should be notified of
test results.Informing pet buyers
must be evaluated individually based on information given at the time of
sale.Breeders should work toward
removing from their breeding program cats who test positive, with the goal of
breeding cats that test negative for known genetic defects, following the
recommendations of geneticists and other experts in the field.

A female should not be bred
until she is at least one year old unless she has been in heat twice.A female should not be bred intentionally
more than twice in twelve months.If
a dam has severe birthing difficulties, she should be spayed after
consultation with a veterinarian.

MCBFA strongly recommends that
a written agreement should be drawn up concerning shipping and/or boarding
charges for a female sent to a male, registration of the litter, payment
methods for stud service, and options to cover a female's failure to conceive
or her resorption of kittens.A copy
of any agreement should be signed by both parties before the date of
breeding.

Breeders have an obligation to
take precautions against accidental breedings.Kittens of a litter whose sire is unknown or offspring of
accidental matings to another breed should be altered and responsibly placed.

Proper facilities and care
shall be provided for the safe and healthy delivery of kittens, with the
Breeder or other responsible person available to assist the queen if
necessary, without interfering with normal parturition.A veterinarian should be consulted at the
first sign of life-threatening difficulty.

A kitten born with a deformity
that a veterinarian deems incompatible with a healthy orcomfortable life should be
euthanized.If a genetic defect is
suspected, a veterinarian/geneticist should be consulted.Positive results must be reported to
purchasers from the same breeding stock.

VHEALTHBreeders should maintain a high standard of health and
care, including adequate room for exercise, regular handling and grooming,
clean and comfortable quarters, adequate ventilation and natural light, a
climate-controlled temperature, a balanced diet and clean water, regular
vaccinations according to current veterinary protocol, veterinary
consultations for health issues, and love and affection.

VISALESSales shall be conducted in a manner designed to promote
maintnance of the cat's health and to provide reasonable protection for the
buyer.

Breeders should conduct
themselves in a professional manner.They should not buy from or sell to or recommend breeders who do not
conform to this Code of Ethics.They
must not deal with wholesalers or retailers, provide a Maine Coon for raffle
purposes, or buy/sell in litter lots.

No kitten shall leave the
cattery before it is twelve weeks old, though a sales agreement may be
finalized prior to that date, and no kitten shall be shipped before it is
twelve weeks old (domestic) or sixteen weeks old (overseas).

Before selling any kitten,
Breeders must honestly evaluate the quality and potential of the kitten and
inform the buyer of the differences between pet, breeder, and show quality.

Breeders shall encourage
buyers to join MCBFA and must be available to buyers for advice on the proper
care of the kitten or cat.

MCBFA strongly recommends that
all sales transactions be in writing, with buyer and seller each retaining a
signed copy of the agreement.A
written sales contract should contain:

b) complete
Health Record Sheet including all immunizations received as well as methods
used for control of internal and external parasites;

c) written
instructions for the care, feeding, and accommodations of the kitten/cat;

d) clear and
specific enumeration of the buyer's responsibility to the Breeder, including
the procedure and time period for notification concerning defects and other
limitations of guarantee;

e) specific
timing for provision of registration papers and pedigree:at time of sale (show and breeder quality),
or within thirty days after receipt of proof of alteration (pet quality);

f) for breeder
and show quality kittens, a five-generation pedigree complete with
registration numbers and colors;

g) the course
of action to be taken should the kitten/cat prove to be sterile (breeder and
show quality), in poor health or suspected of a genetic defect, or
incompatible with the buyer's family.

VIIADVERTISINGAdvertising, written or oral, shall be
factual and not misleading, and shall be in conformity with federal, state,
or local consumer protection laws.

VIII.SPONSORSHIPBreeder Members must maintain close contact with any
Provisional Breeder Members they are sponsoring.Sponsors must provide guidance during the probationary period.

IXSPORTSMANSHIPMembers of the Breeder Division are
expected to behave in a manner that reflects credit upon themselves, the
Maine Coon, and MCBFA.Whether as
exhibitors or spectators, they shall agree to abide by the rules that govern
each show.Success in the show hall
is secondary to the health and well being of the cat and to cordial
relationships with others among the cat fancy and MCBFA.

X.AGREEMENTSMCBFA strongly recommends that receipts
be issued for all financial transactions, whether by check, cash, or credit
card, or any combination thereof.MCBFA strongly recommends written documentation of all agreements and
contracts (stud service, sales of kittens/cats, agency agreements, leasing
arrangements, and the like).

XIENFORCEMENTUpon sufficient proof of violation of
the spirit or the letter of this Code of Ethics, disciplinary action shall
proceed (against a breeder division member), according to Article 7 of the
MCBFA By-Laws.

XII.AMENDMENTSThe MCBFA Code of Ethics may be amended by a majority vote
of the Executive Council upon recommendations from the Ethics Committee or
from a Committee appointed for that purpose.

I
AGREE TO THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS CONTAINED IN THIS CODE OF ETHICS.I UNDERSTAND THAT I AM SUBJECT TO
DISCIPLINARY ACTION, SUSPENSION, OR EXPULSION FROM THE ASSOCIATION FOR
FAILURE TO COMPLY WITH THE STANDARDS CONTAINED HEREIN, AS DETERMINED BY THE
ETHICS COMMITTEE AND THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL.